Bill Text: AZ SB1462 | 2016 | Fifty-second Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced

Arizona Senate Bill 1462 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Arizona community schools pilot program

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-03 - Referred to Senate ED Committee [SB1462 Detail]

Download: Arizona-2016-SB1462-Introduced.html

REFERENCE TITLE: Arizona community schools pilot program

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-second Legislature

Second Regular Session

2016

SB 1462

Introduced by

Senators Bradley, Begay: Pancrazi

AN ACT

establishing the Arizona community schools pilot program.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Arizona community schools pilot program; requirements; grants; coordinator; tax credit; delayed repeal; definitions

A. A three‑year Arizona community schools pilot program is established in the governor's office to assist public middle schools and junior high schools in developing community school plans and participating in the pilot program.

B. From monies donated for this purpose, the governor's office shall award three-year grants to eligible schools.� Each grant may not exceed the sum of:

1. Sixty thousand dollars each academic year to pay the salary and benefits of a full-time community school coordinator.

2. Twenty‑five thousand dollars each academic year to develop and implement a community school plan.

C. On application from a school, a grant awarded under this section may be extended by the governor for an additional year.

D. A public middle school or junior high school is eligible to apply for a grant under this section if the school demonstrates a commitment to both:

1. Participating in the pilot program by establishing both:

(a) A school‑community partnership team to function as the campus‑level planning and decision-making committee composed of school officials and community representatives.

(b) A partnership with a community-based organization, a social service provider or an education or youth services organization, that has experience in developing and implementing a community school plan.

2. Developing and implementing a plan for sustaining the community school plan beyond the end of the pilot program.

E. Grants distributed under this section may not be used for direct programs for students or families or for other activities that are not related to developing or implementing a community school plan.

F. Each school that participates in the pilot program shall hire a new employee or designate an existing employee to serve as the community school coordinator for that school. A community school coordinator who is compensated with grant monies issued pursuant to this section must have relevant experience as a school district employee, a charter school employee or an employee of a community-based organization with experience in developing and implementing a community school plan and in coordinating the process of developing and implementing such a plan. The coordinator's duties include:

1. Recruiting community partners and building community support for the school.

2. Coordinating all of the following:

(a) The school community partnership team's planning and training activities.

(b) Planning and evaluation efforts between the school and community partners.

(d) After-school, summer and enrichment programs for students.

3. Encouraging community and parent engagement in the school.

4. Seeking available resources for implementing community school programs and services.

5. Conducting an annual needs assessment of the school in coordination with the school-community partnership team.

6. Acting as a liaison between the school, other community schools, the school district or the charter school and community partners.

7. Developing a plan for sustaining the community school plan beyond the end of the pilot program.

G. Before a community school plan may be implemented, the plan and the application to participate in the pilot program must be approved by the school district governing board or the charter school governing body.

H. In developing or implementing a community school plan, a school that participates in the pilot program may seek assistance from other community schools, regional education service centers or technical assistance providers.

I. A school that is selected to participate in the pilot program shall both:

1. Hold a community meeting at least twice each year to both:

(a) Inform community stakeholders about the school's progress in implementing the community school plan.

(b) Seek community input regarding any improvements or changes that could be made to the community school plan.

2. Annually report to the school district governing board or the charter school governing body regarding the school's progress in implementing the plan.

J. The governor's office shall select a third‑party organization to solicit and accept monies to fund the pilot program and to coordinate with the governor's office for the disbursement of these monies.� The third‑party organization and schools that are selected to participate in the pilot program may seek and accept gifts, grants, donations and monies from federal, state and private sources for purposes related to the pilot program.

K. For taxable years 2016, 2017 and 2018, a credit is allowed against the taxes imposed by title 43, Arizona Revised Statutes, for the amount of voluntary cash contributions by the taxpayer or on the taxpayer's behalf during the taxable year to the governor's office or to the third‑party organization selected by the governor's office for the purpose of funding the pilot program.� The amount of the credit shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars in any taxable year.� If the allowable tax credit exceeds the taxes otherwise due under title 43, Arizona Revised Statutes, on the claimant's income, or if there are no taxes due under title 43, Arizona Revised Statutes, the taxpayer may carry the amount of the claim not used to offset the taxes under this title forward for not more than five consecutive taxable years' income tax liability.� The credit allowed by this subsection is in lieu of any deduction pursuant to section 170 of the internal revenue code and taken for state tax purposes.

L. This section is repealed from and after December 31, 2019.

M. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Community-based organization" means a nonprofit corporation or association that is located in close proximity to the population the organization serves and that supports the academic success of students through the provision of health care, mentoring, college readiness programs or job training.

2. "Community school" means a public middle school or junior high school that partners with one or more community-based organizations to coordinate academic, social and health services to reduce barriers to learning and improve the quality of education for students in the community and that offers a variety of programs and services that may include one or more of the following:

(a) Early childhood education.

(b) After-school and summer school academic and enrichment programs.

(d) Service learning opportunities, such as internships and community service programs.

(e) Leadership and mentoring programs.

(f) Activities to encourage community and parent engagement in students' education.

(g) Parenting classes and health and social services, including services provided by licensed social workers, for students and families.